“Pesle purpose?!” Pestle repeated, seemingly more surprised to be asked a question than by the question itself. “Pesle is do thing. Often leg!” she proudly answered right away, hands on her hipbone, ”Purpose is do thing, thing always purpose!”

The beast’s neck elongated, approaching, it stared right at Pestle.

“Why staring? Pesle not is dating!”

The beast’s head twitched ever so slightly. And pulled back.

Correct. It announced, sounding almost annoyed at having to say it. Its wings expanded even further, covering the entirety of sky, plunging the forest and temple in a strange darkness where only the red crosses on its body illuminated the shrine in harsh red light.

The universe gives life no inherent meaning. You are the cause of your own actions. Purpose is what you make it.

Third and final question.

Sofia. Where is this sanctuary?

“Where?” Sofia repeated, “This… There are a thousand valid answers to that…”

“Hmm… We should probably try one of the obvious answers first, just in case,” Saria quickly decided, “But I doubt this would be it. The answers to the two previous questions have been more on an existential level. Maybe it’s an abstract, the answer could be ‘Safety’ or something in that vein.”

“I’m not sure,” Sofia continued, “It could just as easily be an actual spatial but broader question. Asking what plane it’s in for example. But even if it’s an abstract answer, that leaves plenty of possibilities. Maybe even something like ‘in a curse’ considering we still have yet to find what the tree feeds on.”

“Pesle think maybe answer ‘somewhere’?”

“If it’s able to escape the supposedly universe-wide cataclysm then ‘nowhere’ would be more likely. ‘Outside’ feels like an idea, too,” Saria continued, expanding on Pestle’s idea.

Deep in thought, Sofia bit on her nails, an old habit that did not resurface too often anymore, but that she consciously noticed this time, as she was still in her demon form with long claws and teeth.

“I’ll start with confirming that the obvious answer is false,” Sofia finally decided, “This sanctuary is on Veliadren, deep under the Spirit forest.”

The elder beast skipped the whole thing with the extended neck and replied right away.

Incorrect. A few minutes and two attempts left. Your time runs short.

Shit.

Starting to panic, Sofia ran through a thousand possibilities in her head, and came up with another answer that she felt was a gamble but had a good chance. It was a deeper version of the ‘outside’ guess.

“Beyond the primeval void,” Sofia guessed.

She had done some research on her own skill, the [Venerable physique of the primeval void], and confirmed that the primeval void was another, older name for the Margin. More exactly it referred to the ‘unobserved’ parts of the margin, where things ceased to exist. In a way, it could be argued that it was probably outside of the universe.

Incorrect. Last attempt. The beast solemnly announced, its body contorting further around the obelisk.

This shouldn’t be too hard.

The answer has to be right under my eyes like the two other questions…

What am I missing…

Saria tapped on Sofia’s shoulder. “Little sister. I don’t have the answer. But… I noticed something. We were all too focused on the question,” she told Sofia.

Too focused on the question?

… Sofia! It called me Sofia! Just Sofia. Why?

It even gave Pestle a title we didn’t know she had. Yet it omits my name? This can’t be random. But why… Is it asking the question to me not as Aphenoreth’s marked one but as myself? How does that help?

No, this isn’t it. I AM Sofia Aphenoreth. Calling me just Sofia at this point is like referring to my past self.

Me before all of this.

Does it mean I knew the answer before even the adoption? When I was just an Orphan?

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

It’s not Sofia Sellar. So not too early either.

Where… Where does this all lead… How could I possibly have known back then… Am I overthinking this… I need to hurry… I can’t fail now! So close! And this is my only chance?! What a nightmare…

Shocked by her own thoughts, Sofia looked back up at the contorted Sunless beast whose wings covered the sky.

The misshapen creature had turned the red sky dark.

It dug up old and blurry memories that Sofia had long done her best to forget.

“This is a nightmare.”

Correct. The elder beast answered, as the entire world around the three women turned to cold black ice. The temple, the obelisk, the trees and their leaves, all turned to ice. The beast itself was nothing but an icy statue, and behind it, the gate ‘opened’ showing a lone stele in a black void, and the black ice statue of a winged woman, her hand raised tower the stele.

Fate is imbued in all things. It is both condemnation and opportunity.

We are those who would fold it upon itself.

Proceed. The corruption does not reach inside.

The trio rushed inside, and the gate disappeared behind them, leaving them in the black void.

“You have some explaining to do,” Saria said. Sofia looked around, but could not see her. They were all still tainted black like the Sunless, making them completely invisible in the black void, but Pestle was soon visible, her tiny form contrasting against the legs of the frozen deity.

“Not very leg,” she commented, poking the ice with a finger, which made a crystalline sound that echoed through the void.

“Explaining is… So… I used to have a recurring nightmare after the day we got separated. The main thing that always woke me up was that you were swept away by the waves, and I couldn’t catch you. But even though it’s very blurry in my memory… I know the rest of the nightmare was always exactly the same. There were some strange beasts all around us… And a red sky that slowly turned black. I’m pretty sure now, that the elder beast was one of the creatures in that nightmare. Though in it it wasn’t what made the sky black, I don’t think.”

“Hmm… That does explain your guess… It leaves a few holes but we can work that out later. At least I know where you’re coming from. Now that you mention it… I’ve had… A pretty similar dream on occasion, I think. But… I wouldn’t… Really be able to describe any of it. Just that it always left me feeling– empty,” Saria said, sounding more and more confused the more she spoke.

“Sofia! Raria! Why talk?! Time is leg!” Pestle called out, pointing at the writing on the stele.

There were only three words at the top: ‘Words of defiance’, and under it, a strange spell schematic that followed absolutely no logical mana pattern, and looked more like an incredibly complex labyrinth’s map.

Sofia almost thought that it was, in fact, a map, until she felt Mr.Scribe start to engrave it in her blueprint.

A new, one word skill appeared in status, under the sub-class category.

[Extinguish]

At the same time, Pestle confusedly mumbled something.

“Halt? What Halt? Rock is insulting Pesle?”

“Halt?” Sofia asked, “Where?”

Pestle turned back to look at Sofia, “Ack! Sofia not see! Is rock magic say Halt when Pesle try. Not understand why.”

“I see…” Sofia said, “The spell I got is ‘Extinguish’, the stele says words of defiance. It looks like everyone gets a different word. Saria?”

“Well I don’t know. You see how complex the damn thing is? It’s not that easy to wildcast.”

“Raria not fae One, very not easy!” Pestle agreed.

“Right… I’m the only one with the sub-class… I’ll let you work on it then, I need to deal with this ice statue anyway. I’m guessing touching it will send me into another stream of memories. It should be extremely informative this time, considering they not only managed to come here but also tried to destroy the stele.”

“I might need like… An hour. So you can take your time,” Saria said, sitting down in front of the stele.

Let’s check the actual skill first. I’m pretty sure it’s the Annihilator’s now…

[You have learned ‘Extinguish’]

[CLASS QUEST UPDATE!]

[Class Quest: Find the missing skills!

You picked an experimental sub-class not meant for use, three out of four skills could not be retrieved, but there are traces of their recorded locations.

UPDATE: You found two of three missing skills, one remain!

Warning: This class’s skills cannot be learned.

Hints:

* ‘Word of defiance’ was discovered in the nightmare of the sunless beast. (LEARNED; ESSENCE MISSING)

* One of four skills was discovered in the deepest trenches of the ocean.

* ‘Paradise Toybox’ was discovered on the warped moon. (LEARNED; ESSENCE MISSING)

* ‘Singularity Edict’ was discovered in ruins of the lost epoch beneath an unholy cathedral. (LEARNED)

Sub-Class Quest progress: 3/4]

[Spell schematic has been learned but cannot be recorded.]

[Extinguish]: For you have chosen to shine.

Extinguish all light but your own.

WARNING: Essence of Edrazeketh required for safe use.

Using this skill without the required essence will instead cost mana.

In such cases, your own light will gradually disappear as well.

“Sofia! Sofia!” Pestle called out, jumping in place, “Pesle see Tystem! Look!”

A small system window appeared next to the one Sofia was already reading.

[Halt]: For you have chosen to never stop.

Halt everything but you.

WARNING: Essence of Edrazeketh required for safe use.

Using this skill without the required essence will instead cost mana.

In such cases, your own mind will gradually halt as well.